Insights & Solutions

Get the latest trends, tools, and resources for improving healthcare environments here. Browse our many free and members-only resources, including research reports and issue briefs, interviews, case studies, design strategies, lessons learned, key point summaries, and webinars.
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May 2018∘
Webinar ∘
In this webinar, presenters will explore how the Internet of Things and clinical systems can work together to positively impact clinical operations and patient experiences. The “smart” building, one that uses a building management system to monitor and adjust HVAC and other systems to make the building more energy-efficient, has become a well-recognized and expected part of new healthcare construction. But can the smart building become even smarter? Can it be integrated with other technologically driven systems to be not just a smart building but a clinically smart building?

June 2016∘
Design Strategies ∘
Technology is one of the most challenging issues in healthcare. The current combination of recent health reform laws, federal stimulus funds, and the ongoing wave of new healthcare technology can be described as a “tsunami” of sorts. Healthcare leaders are overwhelmed, as planning for the future of technology stands to transform many current care practices. Successfully integrating technology means planning for today as well as anticipating future needs, and directly impacts the programming, planning, and design of all healthcare settings.

June 2016∘
Issue Brief ∘
As part of the technology toolbox, in this issue brief you will learn about why systems approach is needed to successfully integrate technology into the built environment, implications of the socio-technical system framework on planning and design around medical technology, and the impact of current and future technology on the continuum of care.

June 2016∘
Tool ∘
This tool provides healthcare designers and professionals with technology principles/goals and how environmental, operational, and people measures can be implemented to achieve said goal.

April 2016∘
Project Brief ∘
Learn about: Geisinger Health System’s efforts to create a new Hybrid Operating Room that flexes to accommodate different surgical setups and storage needs, how vendors working closely together around common goals can improve efficiency and maximize results, and the need to maintain flexibility in the built environment to allow designs to meet changing circumstances and incorporate improved technologies.

December 2015∘
Tool ∘
This Ambulatory Care Center Design Tool (ACCDT), developed by Dr. Anjali Joseph and Dr. Zahra Zamani from Clemson University in collaboration with The Center for Health Design (CHD), builds upon a series of papers, best practice case studies and in-depth literature reviews conducted by CHD as well as CHD's Clinic Design Post-Occupancy Evaluation Toolkit – Tool 2 Audit of Physical Environment with additions from a thesis by Crews (2013). The tool supports design teams in making key design decisions about ambulatory care centers linked to evidence based design goals and principles.

February 2018∘
Tool ∘
Design interventions to improve well-being for patients with behavioral and mental health (BMH) conditions will often have impacts on other populations, as well (e.g., staff, visitors, non-BMH patients who use the same facility). This tool will help you consider those broader impacts and incorporate them into an evidence-based process for a universal design approach.

February 2018∘
Interview ∘
Inside you will learn about: why behavioral health facilities have very different design requirements than general hospitals; how different areas of a behavioral health unit have different safety needs that influence design choices; and which types of safety measures and products should be incorporated into behavioral health units.

August 2014∘
Webinar ∘
Behavioral health settings guided by strict safety design measures often result in spaces that are stark, plain, and isolated - potentially exacerbating environmental stressors and escalating already difficult patient situations. Acute care emergency settings have a particular set of challenges as EDs are predicting increased visits from behavioral health patients. Faced with the challenge of designing a behavioral health care setting in the Emergency Department at UnityPoint Health in Rock Island, IL, the project team hypothesized that the creation of a Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) with a “Living Room Concept” would provide a higher quality of care to patients while assisting in the staff’s ability to quickly consult and treat a diverse set of patients entering the ED.